Blog

I’ve been writing as much as consulting with clients. Pick your favorite and subscribe so you receive the updates in your inbox.

The OCAI Blog about Culture

Here’s where I blog about organizational culture, culture change, and the Competing Values Framework and the OCAI culture survey. Frequency of posting: about every 2 weeks.

The Leadership & Change Blog

Here’s where I write about Positive Leadership, Organizational Culture, Organizational Change, New Organizations, Personal Development and reflection. In addition, the blog category Positive Power is a book that I blog in real-time! The purpose is to upgrade to positive organizations where both people and performance thrive.

Culture and Leadership during and after Corona - part 2Marcella BremerTue, 26/05/2020 - 11:12 What is going on in this Corona pandemic? In my last post, we looked at some aspects of self-leadership, organizational culture, and organizational Leadership in corona time. Let's look at employee engagement and the ability to change rapidly. Suddenly, organizations become agile! How is your organization or team doing? What to change and how to keep the momentum? Hopeful is the Gallup research that shows "that companies are treating their employees better than ever. And employee engagement, a problem that plagues more than two-thirds of companies year after year, is actually going up". This is what Gallup's Josh Bersin writes. "Once people started working at home, companies immediately discovered issues in social isolation, stress, and time management. Well the response has been amazing. Companies are teaching yoga and have group exercise programs online, at one company the chef is teaching cooking classes, and another has launched a "happiness challenge" for people working at home." Agility and Change in corona time Now is the time of rapid changes. What didn't seem possible before, suddenly is happening. From keeping planes on the ground (can you believe it?) to shifting production from beds to mouth caps (as bed factory Auping did) to working from home and video conferencing. Everyone is learning! As one client organization told me: "We used to get skills training before using new software. Now we're just thrown in the deep with collaborating online and video conferencing. Guess what? We pulled it off! I wouldn't have believed this before the pandemic - if you told me that our organization would just experiment and do it, without training and a manual!" Welcome to creativity, experimentation, trial-and-error, and being brave! Our quick crisis responses ...

Culture and Leadership during and after Corona - part 1Marcella BremerTue, 12/05/2020 - 10:57 We're working and living in this Corona pandemic. Everything changed almost overnight. We need to adjust to a different reality and come to terms with new visions of the future, shifting priorities, feeling anxiety or fear or worry, working from home, video-conferencing with colleagues and clients, washing hands all the time, checking our financial and physical status: are we still safe? Organizations in many sectors will have to survive a brutal short term to access long-term options. But while survival may be top of mind today, thriving is the long game. Where are you on the line of suffer-survive-thrive? What have you learned to date? It's just so much! It's the practicalities of moving to remote work overnight and being quarantined (with kids, pets, noise around) and video-calling parents and friends and missing so much that we took for granted. Portal to a new world It's the uncertainty of the world that showed its current VUCA nature: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. What will emerge? A better tomorrow: a world transitioned to more sustainability, kindness, and connection? Or a harsh tomorrow: a collapsing global economy and suffering societies? Or a world that ignores and denies what just happened - clinging to old beliefs and ways of production and consumption. How to go through the transition? The pandemic is a portal to a new tomorrow, whatever that will look like. For both individuals and organizations, it's an opportunity to transform. As the novelist, Arundhati Roy says: "Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can ...

Culture: Tribal roles at workMarcella BremerTue, 28/04/2020 - 00:46 Who are you? You might be an individualistic, highly-educated, autonomous professional - just like many other leaders, professionals, coaches, and consultants reading this blog. You might think that you’re alone, unique, and independent. But we’re always connected to the larger whole. You’re part of a few tribes, clans, or groups - be they family, groups of friends, communities, or the organization. Your deep psychological needs urge you to belong to a group and collaborate on a shared purpose that gives meaning to life and work. Healthy tribes, groups, and organizations fulfill our need to belong, and our need for meaning, clarity, and safety. And whether you like it or not, thinking of yourself as a modern, independent individual, you might play a tribal role in your organizational system. Looking at the roles in traditional tribes can help you gain insights into the interaction dynamics in modern organizations. What’s possible in different positions? It might help to understand yourself and others, and where you would be at your best at work. Looking at the organization as a tribe with a distinct culture, you might see with whom you could collaborate to leverage organizational change - and how to make it work for different groups. These roles are inspired by the Dutch book Building Tribes by anthropologists Jitske Kramer and Danielle Braun. The Chief Thinking of your organization as a tribe, who stands out? The chief, of course. The chief in modern times is the leader, the executive, the CEO, or the project leader. Their task is to represent the organization, to guarantee safety (against threats from the outside), to make decisions, set the direction to go toward, set boundaries, coordinate the others and lead them toward the ...

Corona: Practice Positivity and Virtual collaborationMarcella BremerTue, 14/04/2020 - 10:00 The Corona or Covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented and still feels a bit surreal. It's causing disruptive change in the way we live, work, act, interact and think. In my last post, we reflected on personal development and opening up, on what is emerging, what we can let go of, what our team's purpose is, and how we contribute to the whole. This is an opportunity to develop a caring culture of compassion at work and in life. Let's also look at some practical tips to cope with the new reality of working at home, virtual meetings, and staying positive. Virtual meeting: Check-In and Out Rachel Ben Hamou shares some great tips, such as the Check-in and Check-out of your virtual meeting. This might be even more important in a virtual meeting than onsite, as it allows people to "arrive" and share quickly. Check-in: Ask each person to share whether they are feeling red, orange or green in the current moment. It’s a great way to prepare everyone for the conversation. Red means you’re overwhelmed, stressed, upset or generally having a tough time. Orange means things aren’t ideal but you’re coping. Green means you’re feeling good about things. It’s important to recognize that all feelings are valid and this isn’t a session to fix or address anyone’s color. If someone says red, you might follow up with them afterwards. Let them know you’ve got their back and are there for support. Check-out: Check-outs are a quick way of polling people for reflections on the session. It helps bring a sense of closure to the gathering and helps people mentally and emotionally transition out of the conversation. Connect with Purpose and Contribution The Center of Positive Organizations ...

The Corona or Covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented and still feels a bit surreal. It’s causing disruptive change in the way we live, work, act, interact and think. In my last post, we reflected on personal development and opening up, on what is emerging, what we can let go of, what our team’s purpose is, and how we contribute to the ... Read More ...

The pandemic of Corona or Covid-19 is unprecedented and still feels a bit surreal. Is this really happening? Uhm, yes! It’s fascinating to see what happens, how you and I respond, how priorities shift all of a sudden, and how crucial values surface. We see how governments and corporations halt the economy (by sending people home) to protect everyone’s health ... Read More ...

Corona: Disruptive Change reflection Marcella BremerTue, 31/03/2020 - 10:43 The pandemic of Corona or Covid-19 is unprecedented and still feels a bit surreal. Is this really happening? Uhm, yes! It's fascinating to see what happens, how you and I respond, how priorities shift all of a sudden, and how crucial values surface. We see how governments and corporations halt the economy (by sending people home) to protect everyone's health and avoid further societal disruption. As a side-effect, we see how Covid-19 has accomplished more to reduce CO2 emissions within weeks than all climate conversations combined have done in years. We see how it brings out the best and the worst in people - from offering free meals and help to hoarding toilet paper and attending parties because some feel immortal (and don't care about the macro view of keeping the population as safe as possible). We see how office workers have to work from home - and how virtual meetings become the standard while many gatherings are canceled. We see our own response to the sudden outbreak. From disbelief, to anxiety, to getting used to it, to acceptance, to positive action: What can I do to make the best of it? What can I contribute to my team, my community, my family? This is a wake-up call and a systemic primer for change. Corona affects our modern culture, and the cultures in our teams and organizations. I'd like to share some philosophical reflections by others that resonated with me - may they help you, too, when you're struggling as a leader, consultant, or employee. Wake Up My wise colleague Graham Williams writes: One spiritual growth framework, often attributed to Ken Wilber, is that of Wake up. Grow up. Clean up. Show up. My own take ...

Culture: Working with idiots?Marcella BremerTue, 17/03/2020 - 16:31 We all have days that it seems we have to work with idiots. Of course, that’s not true! Sometimes we have more difficulty coping with different styles. That’s okay. As long as we don’t blame the others - but catch ourselves before we do and adjust communication. Thomas Erickson explains the styles and how to work with your colleagues in his book, Surrounded by idiots. The four types were developed by psychologist W.M. Marston and our well-known as DISC. The DISC color-coding system maps the four behavioral styles for a certain context. It’s not to say that you always behave according to this style! Most people have two dominant styles. The simple DISC styles help to understand yourself and others. You can accommodate your style to better collaborate with others. What’s your style at work? And does that match the culture? So, what will we do!! In one of my culture workshops, the participants were interrupted a lot by one person who asked: “So, what will we DO with this culture profile?” “How’s our culture going to change?” “Stop explaining and give me some actions and outcomes!” It was clear that he was very committed and engaged - even though he disrupted the dialogue and collective reflection that the group needed to come to conclusions. He tried to speed up the process - and caused irritation. The group wanted results as well - but they also wanted to make sure that all voices were heard and all (dis)advantages of actions taken into account. The impatient person had a Dominant style - he was an extreme “Red” oriented person who craved concrete actions and outcomes, preferably yesterday. He saw himself as determined, efficient, and very smart. He thought ...

We all have days that it seems we have to work with idiots. Of course, that’s not true! Sometimes we have more difficulty coping with different styles. That’s okay. As long as we don’t blame the others – but catch ourselves before we do and adjust communication. Thomas Erickson explains the styles and how to work with your colleagues in ... Read More ...

How busy are you? How supported do you feel? How much time can you make to have conversations that matter – with friends, family, co-workers? Honestly, how lonely do you feel? It’s a pattern in modern economies. Life can be demanding, at work and at home. The pace is high. Everyone and everything seems real-time available via screens; loads of ... Read More ...

Lonely? Cultures of working too hardMarcella BremerTue, 03/03/2020 - 09:47 How busy are you? How supported do you feel? How much time can you make to have conversations that matter - with friends, family, co-workers? Honestly, how lonely do you feel? It's a pattern in modern economies. Life can be demanding, at work and at home. The pace is high. Everyone and everything seems real-time available via screens; loads of information, tasks, emails, contacts and opportunities compete for your attention. But our time and energy aren't limitless. I see it around me - people are tired, stressed, irritated. I see it inside me - I've been on a rollercoaster of projects myself. I loved the adrenaline and the action. But I didn't have time left for reflection and deep conversations. Working too hard I notice this in client organizations as well. One client knew that they had to do something about the culture as their metrics showed too many sick days, employee turnover, and attrition. I worked with several groups of managers to look at their culture and what they could improve. These guys worked so hard; they could hardly slow down. It had become normal to give it your all - and then some more. People were working overtime by default, and it was never enough. High targets were like holy cows, and they started to lose their "spark": the motivation, the purpose, the joy of getting things done together. There wasn't time to connect with co-workers, to tap each other's brains, to support one another. They were addicted to action while reflecting and connecting might have offered them ways to work smarter instead of harder. Though these managers liked to work hard and get results, they agreed this results orientation had gone overboard. ...

Culture: Diversity and InclusionMarcella BremerTue, 25/02/2020 - 12:02 When we're working with organizational culture we aim to develop a culture that helps the organization achieve its goals and be successful in the long run. Safety Psychological safety is an essential ingredient of a positive and productive culture. This safety helps people to speak their mind, contribute energy and ideas, be transparent and open, and take action as they feel ownership or responsibility. Let's summarize this as engagement. It's the opposite of what you see in unsafe cultures where hiding and hoarding is the norm, pointing to others or external causes, not speaking your mind but staying safe in the shadows: disengagement prevails. It's not hard to see why successful organizations are safe: hiding and hoarding slows everyone and everything down, and bad ideas could be implemented because no one speaks up. On the other side, is what Steven Covey called "the speed of trust". When it's safe, it's easy to share objections or disadvantages and improve plans before they are implemented. It's easy to share ideas and energy and take action and be a "market-forward" organization. Diversity Another ingredient of a positive, successful culture is called "diversity and inclusion". That's not just the latest fad. More than 75% of Fortune 1000 companies started diversity initiatives as it's proven to lead to better results and perceived as being market-forward - and the right thing to do. Workplace diversity is understanding, accepting, and valuing differences between people. Think of different races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, disabilities, and sexual orientations, but also in education, personalities, skill sets, experiences, and knowledge bases. Inclusion is a collaborative, supportive, and respectful environment that increases the participation and contribution of all employees. That's what I call a positive, productive culture. The next ...

When we’re working with organizational culture we aim to develop a culture that helps the organization achieve its goals and be successful in the long run. Safety Psychological safety is an essential ingredient of a positive and productive culture. This safety helps people to speak their mind, contribute energy and ideas, be transparent and open, and take action as they ... Read More ...

As I attended a comedy show from a relational therapist, what struck me was how much this applied to culture, leadership and collaboration at work… You bond with co-workers and you want to achieve goals together, just like at home. You’re in a relationship with co-workers. Others that are different than you. How do people cope with differences? Relational therapist ... Read More ...

Culture: Relations with co-workersMarcella BremerTue, 04/02/2020 - 12:01 As I attended a comedy show from a relational therapist, what struck me was how much this applied to culture, leadership and collaboration at work… You bond with co-workers and you want to achieve goals together, just like at home. You’re in a relationship with co-workers. Others that are different than you. How do people cope with differences? Relational therapist Jeroen Stek sees couples who deny all differences and bond into a prominent WE. “We do everything together, we like the same things, we’re fine!” Another way to deal with differences is a division in who does and decides what. Every “I” has their own expertise and is a boss in one area or another: it’s dominance and submission. “He arranges the vacations, she decides on refurbishing the house.” Or one of the two is the boss in everything, and the other one surrenders. We versus I It’s the same at work. You’re a close team that ignores or diminishes differences. “We’re the best of colleagues! We like each other! Always.” Or you see leaders and followers: dominant and more submissive colleagues. Eevery relationship balances the polarities of together or alone, group versus individual, adjustment or autonomy. Both the WE-go-always-well-together and the "hierarchy-of-different-I’s" are coping strategies that aren’t sustainable in the long run. There’s a moment when you can’t or won’t adjust yourself. Or when you’re fed up with organizing everything for this passive co-worker. Or working as your hyperactive, bossy colleague demands. Then there’s explosion (a dysfunctional fight) or implosion (you withdraw). You quit, you stop doing your best or sharing your input, you resort to indifference if you can. What do you see at work, with yourself and others? Above Under Opposed Together These coping ...

Ethical is the most important face of the future. Ethics is at the heart of being human; to have purpose, ideals, direction, vision, and spirituality. Ethics is also about corporate behavior, expected conduct, compliance, regulations, and the boundaries of what is acceptable. Here’s part 2, based on futurist Patrick Dixon’s “six faces of the future,” as discussed in his book ... Read More ...

Ethical Culture at workMarcella BremerMon, 20/01/2020 - 11:48 Ethical is the most important face of the future. Ethics is at the heart of being human; to have purpose, ideals, direction, vision, and spirituality. Ethics is also about corporate behavior, expected conduct, compliance, regulations, and the boundaries of what is acceptable. Here's part 2, based on futurist Patrick Dixon's "six faces of the future," as discussed in his book "The future of almost everything." What lessons can you learn? What triggers or inspires you? "Recent banking and political scandals have been a sharp reminder of why ethics matter. Corruption costs at least 5% (2,6 trillion USD) of global GDP - fat bribes for government contracts, tax revenues diverted into secret bank accounts, dishonest judges or policemen, and so on. Without shared ethics, our future will descend into a lawless hell with unrestrained greed, extremes of wealth, and widespread social unrest." Human nature is still the same as 2000 years ago. People look for meaning in their lives and want to feel they make a difference. The search for purpose has become more intense, though, as people have more time and money to think. The first Ethical test Dixon concluded early in his career that life is too short to do things you don't believe in. That's the first ethical test for yourself. "Why sell things you would never recommend to a friend or family member? Why bother to sell things that aren't right for the customer? Why work for a company that you're ashamed of?" How do you pass this test? The second Ethical test The second test is the feeling of ease or unease. You may be asked to do something while there's no law against it. Nor is there any absolute reason why you ...

It’s time to wind down, take care of yourself, and rekindle the relationships with friends and family. If you like to spend some December downtime on reflection, reading, and recharging, read the seven best leadership articles of this past year. What will you do next year? Which one inspires you to action? #1 How Culture boosts Performance Organizational culture is ... Read More ...

The best on culture and leadershipMarcella BremerTue, 24/12/2019 - 10:00 It's time to wind down, take care of yourself, and rekindle the relationships with friends and family. If you like to spend some December downtime on reflection, reading, and recharging, read the seven best leadership articles of this past year. What will you do next year? Which article inspires you to action?#1 How Culture boosts Performance Organizational #culture is your cutting edge, and a positive culture boosts performance! Are you willing to make 2019 your most positive and productive year to date? Check what you can start doing today. #2 The Cost of a Toxic Culture Organizational #culture can cost you! Is your organization just tough, or also toxic? The annual damage to productivity is shocking, as research shows. Developing the culture can quickly grow productivity, on the other hand. Can you afford to not invest in culture?#3 Leaders as Hero, Servant, Host What would happen if you saw your next project as a party with you as the host? It would feel more like fun, and the results of this "party" could amaze you. The positive leader is a host.#4 Gratitude, Contribution, and Abundance Gratitude, contribution to others, and positive relationships create an Abundance Culture. If you think that's touchy-feely research, read this real-life positive case about Prudential Financial. #5 Leadership: Progress, not Perfection Do you put the bar too high? Do you tend to be a perfectionist instead of a positive (self) leader? Help yourself and others focus on the progress you make.#6 How Power impacts your team The Lens of Power distorts how others see us and how we see others with a different social rank. Power abuse happens when you over-use or under-use it. A positive leader ...

Positive Teams and People: PurposeMarcella BremerTue, 10/12/2019 - 16:50 If you've been a long-time reader of my blog, you might know that my work on positive organizations is also inspired by Charles Eisenstein. He's a thought leader on the big questions of our time, talking about economics, climate crisis, and humanity. He's looking for an antidote for the scientific narrative that we are separate from the world. It makes people feel like lonely, random accidents of the evolution that compete with each other and the earth. I wrote about Charles' vision for a "more beautiful world" here. By the way, don't dismiss Eisenstein as another utopian hippie. He's a Yale graduate in Philosophy and Mathematics and grounded in science. He's not against science. "The science story freed people once from dogmatic religion. But, the science story does no longer support life! It leads to exhausting ecosystems and competing with each other." Here's a philosophical reflection inspired by Eisenstein's new video course Metaphysics & Mystery. It blends very well with the principles of positive leadership and positive culture. What's your Purpose? Eisenstein dives right into the big question: Why am I here? Different cultures provided different answers. The answer that science provided was a non-answer: our existence is the result of a chapter of accidents, and meaning and purpose are but human projections onto a random world. Not a very inspirational vision or purpose! Charles Eisenstein's answer is "To serve life" or "To contribute to the universe becoming more alive." He says: "Don't take my word for it! The invitation here is to examine yourself for evidence of that. What choices give you the feeling, "This is why I am here"? What actions make YOU feel more alive, more fully yourself, when you take them?" What ...

If you’ve been a long-time reader of my blog, you know that my work on positive organizations is also inspired by Charles Eisenstein. He’s a thought leader on the big questions of our time, talking about economics, climate crisis, and humanity. He’s looking for an antidote for the scientific narrative that we are separate from the world. It makes people ... Read More ...

By Graham Williams & Justin Kennedy Welcome to part 2 of this article on Psychological safety, based on extensive research (in the areas of neuroscience, psychology, behavioral economics and business science) and practical experience in consulting to workplaces around the world. Here’s our coverage of a complex and important topic in a way that is devoid of flowery, ‘impressive’ language. ... Read More ...

By Graham Williams & Justin Kennedy Some workplaces are caring, fair and reliable. Employees know that they are appreciated, belong and are free to express themselves. They can safely engage and contribute their views and concerns without any fear of adverse consequences or of being ignored. They find satisfaction and meaning in what they do. Psychological Safety When employees feel ... Read More ...